Taking Baby Steps..

I feel so unaccomplished.

I still cannot cross anything off of my list!

I have, however, started making progress on a lot of things on my list. I am taking baby steps.

Financially:

I have lowered my credit card balance from $500 to $363.80. ($136.20 difference)

I have $75 in savings, and it is increasing every two weeks. (which is A LOT compared to my usual $10)

Environmentally:

I have been recycling every week at home and am even saving bottles/cans/cups that I use when away from the house so that I can bring them back and recycle them.

Educational:

I have decided to re-read the Harry Potter series.. well, actually finish reading. I haven't read past the fourth book and have all of them, so I decided to start over again and finish them all.

Health:

Still working on working out. I go through phases of working out every single day, to not working out for a week. I really need to get a routine and stick with it! I'm going to the Y tomorrow...

Hopefully I will be able to cross something off of my list by the end of the week! Cross your fingers!

After Surgery News

I had my breast reduction surgery.

It was a success. I am now waiting very eagerly to get the stitches out and to go bra shopping!!

In many ways the breast reduction surgery has helped me come closer to some of the things on my list:

1. Reach my goal weight of 115 pounds
2. Limit eating out to once a month or less
3. Drink only one or less soda a month

1. From the surgery alone, I had two+pounds removed from my breasts, making me 2.something pounds lighter. I have lost an additional five pounds due to having some tummy issues after coming out of the anesthetic and being on a liquid diet for a week. I am on the liquid diet until Sunday at the earliest but I might continue it until Tuesday (the day the stitches come out) just to make extra sure that I did everything I could to limit the scarring. So, that's seven pounds lost so far. I can really see it in my legs. That's where I gain all of my weight, my butt and legs. Not my stomach or breasts, but the lower half of the body. Ugh, it's frustrating. The breast reduction is also going to help immensely with losing weight because I will be able to jog without being in pain, have a larger range of motion when doing workouts and be able to find a sports bra that actually does its job. I can't wait to go bra shopping and get to working out!! So yayyyy to being seven pounds closer to my goal. :)

2. Being on a liquid diet makes you appreciate food. Real food, not fast food. My surgery couldn't have happened at a better time.. my dad is in desperate need to lost 40+ pounds so me not being able to eat is helping him make better decisions about eating. He and I have been talking about cooking more and eating less of everything bad..

3. Since being on the liquid diet I am eating broths (I cant have noodles), jellos, puddings, water, juices and clear sodas... I am finding that soda really isn't that satisfying if I am not drinking it with pizza or a burger. Trust me, Dr. Pepper and Chicken Broth does not taste well together. I find myself wanting water and water and water. I will have a Sprite every once in a while just to have a different taste other than water, but I'm trying to not drink many juices because those are just as bad for me as sodas (and taste waaaay better).

That's all for now.

Hope everyone's lists are going well!

I've Been Slacking..

With my surgery this upcoming Tuesday I have been slacking on my list. Especially when it comes to sodas.

Looking back, I should have added "getting a breast reduction" to my list. But I didn't, oh well.

I'm working on #6 under education/knowledge, which is reading 50 books. I'm currently reading "The Host" by Stephanie Myer and The Idiot's Guide to Songwriting and Becoming an Actress. So, that's three books I am working on. :)

I'm also working on #4 under Environmental, which is converting to reusable bags. My mom has an amazing collection of 20ish bags, so shopping with her has made me realize just how easy it is to shop with them. My biggest flaw is forgetting to put them in my car, but if I had 10 bags I could always leave some in my car. I'm starting to collect some bags.

Financially, I am saving all the spending money my parents are giving me. Trust me, it isn't much, but while I am home I don't really need to buy anything other than food and they provide that. So, it's all going into my safe so it is out of sight (if i see it, i will spend it). When I get back to TX I am going to open up a savings account at a new bank so my parents wont be able to weasel their way into my money.

That's all for now.

Baby baby steps.

Good luck to everyone on their lists!!

-m

The List.

I'm going to record my progress on this blog. Post videos and pictures per item completed.

Creating your own 1001 Day Project

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:

1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

1. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Health (mental & physical):

1. Reach my goal weight of 115 pounds
2. Limit eating out to once a month or less
3. Drink only one or less soda a month
4. Join a cycling club
5. Run a 5K/half marathon/marathon
6. Workout 5-6 days a week
7. Yell from the top of a mountain
8. Start to meditate
9. Take a self-defense class
10. Resist gossip
11. List one thing every week that I love about myself
12. Write a letter to myself in the future
13. Go to Church at least once a month
14. See a movie at a theater by myself
15. Write down four things I am thankful for every month

Education/Knowledge:

1. Graduate with my Bachelors Degree in Broadcast Journalism
2. Learn Italian
3. Take acting lessons
4. Learn how to play piano
5. Go to NYFA for my Masters
6. Read 50 books
7. Learn to sail
8. Join a book club
9. Get my scuba diving license
10. Become CPR certified
11. Take a cooking class
12. Learn how to surf
13. Learn how to make a cake, pizza, bread, pie, lasagna, beer, and cookies from scratch.
14. Learn a new word a week and use it

Adventures:

1. Go on a road trip with friends
2. Go white water rafting again
3. Steal a kiss
4. Get a tattoo
5. Go on a cruise
6. Climb a mountain
7. Go hiking
8. See the Northern Lights
9. Take dance lessons
10. Go backpacking through Europe
11. Swim with dolphins
12. Go to Hawaii
13. Make a fire on a beach and camp-out by it
14. Go offline for a weekend (no cell, tv, computer, ipod, etc)
15. Go on a real date (yes, I’ve been on dates)(a date-date, not a hangout)
16. Go skydiving
17. Go skinny dipping
18. Test drive an expensive car
19. Move to Hollywood/LA after graduation
20. Go camping for a weekend (hardcore camping)
21. Volunteer
22. Make an EP
23. Go to Vegas. Get wasted. Have fun.
24. Perform music live at a venue
25. Kiss someone special in the rain

Environmental:

1. Plant a tree
2. Bike, or walk to places less than 5 miles away, instead of driving (unless bad weather) (carpool/public transport to school)
3. Recycle weekly
4. Convert to re-usable grocery bags. Actually use them.

Organizational:

1. De-clutter my life of anything I haven't used or worn in the past year (donate/sell everything)
2. Organize all of my photos (scan pre-digital into computer & back them up)
3. Backup all of my files (at two diff places)

Financial:

1. Get a steady part-time job
2. Put half of each paycheck into savings
3. Save all of my change
4. Donate $1 towards cancer research for every item not completed
5. Pay off my credit card
6. Save up at least $3,000 in my savings
7. Put $5 in savings for everything completed on this list at time of completion
8. Start saving receipts so I can organize my money
9. Buy my own domain name
10. Track my spending
11. Buy a new small digital camera
12. Buy a new video camera

Communication:

1. Write each of my parents a letter every other month. Mail, not email
2. Call my younger brother and sister every week
3. Write a long letter to everyone who is important in my life, mail it to them
4. Take pictures to document everything I've accomplished on this list and post it
5. Send a message in a bottle
6. Get a pen-pal in another country. Write bi-weekly.
7. Fill a journal with quotes, pictures, etc.
8. Tell a story using only photographs
9. Make bad-A youtube videos
10. Write an inspiring letter, sign it with ‘pay it forward’ and leave it somewhere to be read
11. Make a video diary/ documentary of my life

Goals:

1. Buy and take care of a house plant
2. Get my Children Books published
3. Write a book
4. Join a church
5. Maintain my vision board
6. Take a self-portrait once a year
7. Write a screen play
8. Make/direct/star-in my own movie
9. Write business plans and actually pursue them (card & travel & photo ideas)
10. Start a personal library
11. Start and finish my scrapbooks up to present date
12. Leave mix CDs on benches
13. Get an Agent
14. Get my first paying acting gig
15. Start taking professional photos again
16. Make a new list.

(there are 101 things listed, but my auto-computer crap messed up the numbers)